Worthy Communicating, Prayer 2 – Prayer 4
A Prayer and Thanksgiving After the SACRAMENT.
I Thank thee most intirely, O! my God, for calling me this day to thy own Table, to shew me how thine only Son freely dyed in my stead, and to assure me that now for his sake thou art fully Reconciled, and wilt live in me by thy Grace now at present, and raise me up to be Eternally happy with thy Self at last; of all which thou hast given me the surest Pledges in his precious Body and Blood. What can I render to thee, Holy Father, or to thee my dearest Saviour, for so incomprehensible a Benefit? I admire thy marvellous Love, and magnify it above all things. Thy Praise shall ever be in my Mouth, and I will tell out thy wondrous works with Gladness. And may all Hearts adore, and every Tongue confess that thou, Holy Jesus, art the Saviour of the World, and the Son of the Father, whom Heaven and Earth must Honour, and call Blessed for evermore.
Pardon, O! Good God, the unaffectedness of my dull Heart, in the receipt of so inestimable a Treasure; and fill me with Desires some way suitable to my needs, and the richness of thy Mercies, that whenever this Cup of Blessings shall again over-flow, my Heart may run over with Joy and Thankfulness also. Let me never forget the Love I have received, and the Peace I have Seal'd, and the Promises of New Life I have made this Day; but as thy Grace has help'd me to them, so keep me in a lively sense of them, and inable me always to fulfill the same to my Lives end. Now thou hast given me the Blood of Expiation to shew we are Friends; O! never let me be guilty of any thing to break the Peace, which is now so solemnly ratified betwixt us. Now I have vow'd Obedience to thy Laws, to be Humble, Chast, Temperate, Just, Charitable, Patient, Devout, *Here mention Virtues particularly Vow'd at the Lords Table.and entirely resign'd to thy Will and Pleasure; O! let me not start back again from these Holy Promises for ever! Now I have received my Blessed Lord, never suffer me to do any thing unworthy of him; now I am Partaker of his Body and Blood, let his Holy Spirit go along with them, and then I shall be what I ought when I am in his keeping. My sins, which I have renounced, will return again, except he chase them away; and my false Heart, which now seems fixt for God, will revolt, unless he establish it. O! Sweetest Saviour, let thy Body be my Food, thy Strength my Guard, thy Spirit my Life, and the sense of thy Favour my greatest Joy and Comfort. Go on Graciously to accomplish what thou hast now begun in me, and let me ever be secure and happy in thy Custody. Be it even so, for thine own sake, Blessed Jesu!
And then, where there is time for it, or afterwards, where the… is not, may they go on, and say.
Give thy Grace, O Holy Jesu! to all the World, and let all who were Redeemed by thy Blood acknowledge thee to be the Lord, and become thy Worshippers and Faithful Servants. Make all Christians Conscientious Practisers of that Holiness which they profess; and above all, inspire them with uniting Principles and charitable Hearts, that by their loving one another, as thou hast loved us, all the World may know they are thy Disciples. Let all Governours Rule with Wisdom and Justice, and Subjects obey with Love and Chearfulness: Let the Priests of the Lord be Exemplary in their Lives, and Discreet and Diligent in their Labour…, having a most compassionate Love for Souls; and let the People be Humble and Towardly, most desirous to hearken, and fully bent to follow wise Instructions. Be a help at hand to all that need and are afflicted. Send supplies to all that are in want, and assist them contentedly to depend upon thee. Raise Friends to the Widow and Fatherless, the Prisoners and Captives, and all that groan under Oppressors, who are thrown upon thy Mercy. Give Repentance, Patience, and Resignation to all that are sick, and Ease when thou seest it convenient for them. Be a Comforter to all troubled Consciences, helping them to an acceptable Holiness, and enlightning their minds about all causeless Scruples, that they may not fear where no Fear is. Succour all that are tempted, with such a measure of thy Grace, as may inable them to stand in all their Tryals. Think particularly on all my Friends, who are especially indeared to me by their Kindnesses or Acquaintance; on all my Relations in the Flesh; on all that Pray particularly for me, or desire my Prayers. Teach us all to desire what thou approvest, and then grant us whatsoever as desired: Prevent us in all our Actions, and Guard us against all Dangers, and Relieve us in all Straights, and grant that we may always make thee our Stay and Confidence, and take all things well which thou orderest for us. Shorten all our Sorrows, and prevent all our Sins, and fit us all for that Eternal Kingdom which thou hast prepared for us, for Jesus's sake, in whose Holy Name and Words I further pray unto thee.
Our Father, &c.
Being sensible how plain minds, who are ready to do it so far as they are inabled, are oft-times at a Loss for their Daily Devotions; and not knowing but this Treatise may fall into some such Hands; I have added two Prayers, which such Persons may say Morning and Evening in their Families.
A Morning Prayer FOR A FAMILY.
O God, who art the Giver of all good Gifts, and the Father of Mercies; We thine unworthy Servants intirely desire to praise thy Name for all the Expressions of thy Bounty towards us. Blessed be thy Love, that gave thy Son to die for our Sins, to put us in a way of being happy, if we would obey thee; and after all our wilful Refusals of thy Grace, still hast patience with us, and hast added this one Day more to all we have mis-spent already, to see if we will finish the Work thou hast set us to do, and fit our selves for Eternal Glory. Pardon, Good Lord, all our former Sins, and all our Abuses of thy Forbearance, for which now we are sorry at our Hearts; and give us Grace to lead more holy Lives, and be more careful in improving all future Opportunities. Make thy self present to our Minds, and let thy Love and Fear rule in our Souls, in all those Places and Companies where our Occasions shall lead us this Day. Keep us Chaste in all our Thoughts, Temperate in all our Enjoyments, Humble in all our Opinions of our selves, Charitable in all our Speeches of others, Meek and Peaceable under all Provocations, Sincere and Faithful in all our Professions, and so Just and Vpright in all our Dealings, that no Necessity may force, nor Opportunity in any kind allure us to defraud or go beyond our Neighbours. When thou bestowest Good on others, let not us envy but rejoyce in it; and when thou addest any to our selves, let us own thy Mercy, and humbly thank thee for it. Afford us convenient Supplies in all our reasonable Necessities, and protect us against the approach of all Dangers: make us diligent in all our Business, and give such Success to our Endeavours as thou seest most expedient for us; and teach us contentedly to submit, and not to repine at any thing that happens by the Allotment of thy Providence. In all our Passage thro' this World, and our manifold Concerns in it, suffer not our Hearts to be too much set upon it; but always fix our Eye upon the Blessed Hope, that as we go along we may make all the Things of this World minister to it, and be careful above all things to fit our Souls for that pure and perfect Bliss, which thou hast prepared for all that love and fear thee, in the Glories of thy Kingdom.
Extend thy Grace, we further beseech thee, to all Men, in all Places; especially to the Governours and Subjects, to all both High and Low, Rich and Poor, that pray for it, or need it, in these Kingdoms. Bless all our Relations who are near us in the Flesh, and all our Friends and Benefactors who are endeared to us by their Kindnesses. Forgive all our Enemies, give them Hearts to fear thee, and to be kind to us. And supply all us, and all others, with whatsoever else thou seest proper for us, for Christ his sake; in whose Blessed Name and Words we still recommend our selves unto thee, saying,
Our Father, &c.
An Evening Prayer for a FAMILY.
O Most Gracious God, who daily multipliest upon us thy Mercies, notwithstanding we every day renew our Provocations; Accept, we beseech thee, of our most humble and hearty Thanks for thy unspeakable Kindness towards us. Blessed be thy Goodness, which has this day supplied us with Food and Necessaries, and preserved us in Health, the chiefest of all outward Enjoyments, and prosper'd the Work of our Hands, and lent us our Friends to be still a Support and Comfort to us. Adored be thy Love and Patience, which hast allowed us one Day more to amend our Ways, and assisted us by the Suggestions of thy Spirit, and thy gracious Providences, to make up that Resignation, Humility, Contentedness, Chastity, Sobriety, Meekness, Charity, and other Virtues, which are yet wanting in our own Souls. We desire to shew our selves duely sensible of these endearing Benefits, by learning to depend upon thy Providence, which has been so watchful over us; and to be contented with thy Orderings, which are so wisely fitted to our own Advantage; and applying all Opportunities to the increase of that Righteousness and Holy Living which thou requirest at our Hands. We fain would do it, and are here sincerely resolved to endeavour it; and thou hast promised to aid all those who labour in so good a Work: Be it then, O Lord, unto thy Servants according to thy Word, and enable us by thy Grace and Holy Spirit so to do.
We are sensible, O God, how highly we have offended thee, altho' we stand thus indebted for all we have or hope to enjoy, to thy Bounty. How many ways have we dishonour'd our Profession, and revolted from the Vows we made in Baptism, by Pride, and Envy, and Anger, and Discontent, and Evil-speaking, and serving divers Lusts, which then we utterly renounced, and promised never to live in again? We are heartily grieved and ashamed for these and all other our Misdoings, and are fully resolv'd by thy Grace hereafter to amend them: We unfeignedly repent of them, and for Christ's sake humbly beg to be forgiven, and that thy Grace and Holy Spirit may rid us of them for the time to come. Our full purpose is to endeavour it, and thy Promise is to help us in it: O let thine Arm be our Almighty Aid, and then we shall return to them no more.
Keep us in thy good Providence this Night, make our Sleep safe and refreshing to us: Fit us for our great Change, that it may not surprize us unawares, but that having led holy Lives, we may be happy in our Deaths, and have Comfort and well-grounded Hope in thee.
Give all Men Grace to repent, and become thy Servants. Let all Christians live up to the Laws of that Religion which they profess. Especially bless these Kingdoms wherein we live. Let our Governours Rule with Justice, and our People Obey with Chearfulness: Make the Rich and Prosperous Temperate in Vsing, and Charitable in Distributing of their Substance; and the Poor and Afflicted, Patient and Contented under their Burdens: And cause us all to love as Brethren, to be Pitiful and Tender-hearted towards all Men. Preserve our Friends in their Souls and Bodies; forgive our Enemies, and make them kindly affected towards us; and do whatsoever thou seest fitting for us all, for the sake of thy Son, our Advocate, Jesus Christ, who has taught us in his own Words thus to pray.
Our Father, &c.
FINIS.